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As a member of bus 4 which collected it's fair share of seeds, I am happy to report that my Costa Rican seeds feel right at home in Trinidad and have all been making their valiant efforts to take their rightful places in my rainforest. Areca vestiara, Calyptrocalyx polyphyllus, Geonoma sp., Welfia and others. Cyrtostachys are plump and have been striking. I will be pleased to remember Costa Rica for many years by saying "Oh, I collected those seeds at the IPS biennial in Costa Rica". Pictures will obviously follow as the seedlings grow, and not only for identification assistance......

Howdyall: Trinidad-bob's pic of a Corypha in bloom was cool, but, well, these guys are huge. Here's a baby C. utan, and I assume that the guy's not a dwarf. (From the PACSOA website)

I have always been impressed with the massive size of Coryphas. About 6 years ago I was fortunate to see huge groves of the native C.utan in nth Queensland. They were growing by the 10s of thousands in the area we visited...definitely not an endangered species there! Although they get quite tall before flowering and dying, I think they look their best just as they start forming a trunk. Their leaves are largest, and obviously their crowns are largest at that time. To me that is more impressive than overall height. Here's a photo taken just north of Townsville last year - C.umbraculifera seedling Daryl.

Sorry,maybe a little off topic,but here it has more visibility (please remove to´´ tropical looking plants´´ if necessary) Last holyday I went to my cousins farm in Tibagi county.. He has some agriculture on better soils and zebu cows on +- 100 hectares of somewhat poor soils with planted pastures.There is also a little remnant (+- 5 hectares) near the river where the original campo and campos-cerrados vegetation is still alive. I´m always amazed about the richness of species in the campos and cerrados,from orchids to cactus,bromeliads,lilies,allkind of grasses,palms,mirtaceas...Walking through this campos-cerrados I saw the usual plants but also two strange species looking ferns with strange fruits or flower growing from the top. One species had a thick round green fruit with somewhat purple little spines and the other had elongated multiple fruits also with a red/purple /blue collor., The last one shows a dust of spores when I shake it. The smell is very sweat and I saw some very little bugs eating from the spores In total I found two specimens with the round fruit (one of the fruits was rotting) and 3 with the elongated fruits.Both resemble cycads but I think there aren´t cycads here. Please can you help me identify this species. My cousin has lots of pastures for his zebu cows, and in fact does not need to use this 5 hectares ,but I think that if it wasn´t ilegal ,he would remove all the campos-cerrados vegetation and plant pasture onto the side of the Tibagi river. He is planning to release about 50 zebus on this campos the next week to ´´clean´´it. This cows are very rustic and can eat the native grasses. I´m afraid that this cows on this little parcel will destroy all the native vegetation in a short time....

I was gobsmacked when I saw it, wow! Amazing eh

updated infor...the trunck is leaking brown liquid and flys are everywhere on the trunk....this cant be good

So this is the car that got me into modification...While it is a great balanced car and really fun to drive, it got too slow so I began to modify it to cruise. SoCal is about car culture. Although the car makes me laugh now, it was the hardest thing at the time and very cutting edge. Base is 94 BMW Z3 Veilside body kit (the only one imported into the US) Chromallusion paint Airbag suspension; 5 switches. 2 compressors 7g tank. Eclipse Flipup monitor, Eclipse 2 10" subs, Playstation 2 lots of other minor mods.

Happy Birthday to you!!!! (Imagine a nice picture here...)

aprilfoolsday@happyeaster.com

Close up

Mark, Tahinas invasive in Scotland too? I thought it was only Queens! Do you know the Scottish Highlands area where this picture was taken?

On No! There are 200 IPS members heading your way this month Gil.

Gileno, do they even have April in Brazil?

My C. renda seedlings have been undergoing some stress from the water restrictions and our unusually dry season. I have lost about 10% or so. They are still in their community trays for the most part, but I will be undertaking a massive transplant program into one gallon containers next month, just in time for our rainy season. I will take a couple of photos over the weekend to post showing what they look like at the moment. Robert

You need to show up in person! Dean can supply the address!

rubyz hasn't visited the forum since June of 07. In one of his last posts he was upset about the lack of attention his discovery was getting, compared to the discovery of Tahina spectabilis (then still unnamed)

Did I say I have a lot of C. renda seedlings? Two of my Pholidostachys pulchra seeds germinated. I'm ecstatic!

Cyrtostachys renda - then After Now

Calyptrocalyx polyphyllus - then Now

Areca vestiara - then Now

Hyophorbe indica - then Now

Welfia - before Now

Wal, Most of the Costa Rica collected seed are doing well. Here are a couple of updated photos. Bactris honduranensis - before Now

Jeff, the problem was there were no tags! Kim, for me nothing else in this hobby is as satisfying as saying "I grew it from seed!" Robert

Here are some seedlings, the id of which I am unsure of. The seeds were collected at the Herrero farm and I have them listed as either Nenga pumila or a Pinanga sp.

Scott, I am using a combination of promix and rice hulls for the seedlings. It is a nice light mix and has good moisture and aeration. I use this on orchids also and they have responded really well. Robert

The drainage holes are on the sides of the containers. The containers are used to transport grapes from the US to Trinidad and are available mainly from September to December. As a matter of fact I picked up about 6 yesterday. The seeds are just tossed into the germinating trays. If, as in the case of C. renda I have a ton of seeds and the germination rate is good I have to take the sprouts out and space them in another container. More work, but .............. Robert

Jeff, definitely for C. renda! Robert

The first photo gives a clearer look at the seed set up. The tray in the foreground has Cyrtostachys renda seedlings. These are Trinidad collected seeds. The seeds from Costa Rica have germinated, and are just now clearing soil level. Not much to look at. The should look like these, my older seedlings in 4 to 6 weeks. All told, I think I may have about 10,000 C. renda seedlings. What am I going to do with them all!!!! I tell my wife that they will help me retire early in 5 years. Two months ago this Welfia regia seedling leaf was completely red. It has just now begun to fade.

Hyophorbe indicas have been strong growers. I think that I will pot them up to 1 gal soon. Areca vestiara. What are the chances of some of these having red leaves? Geonoma sp. Calyptrocalyx polyphyllus. I germinate my seeds in styrofoam trays. Fill them with a peat moss, sharp sand mixture and stick them in the shadehouse. I don't have to do much more in the rainy season.

For those of you who haven't admitted your addiction, or your in denial, we know, we know! All one has to do is look at your palm collection. You can't deny that every square foot is taken up with palms. Why is it that if one only has a street name, the address is not necessary for a palm society meeting? All one has to do is drive down the street and the palm garden hits you in the face. Maybe there should be a Palms Anonomous with regular meetings, but then of course at intermission, or a coffee break, you would be outside whispering to your buddy about trading palms, or seeds, or talking about the latest discovery. I'm afraid there is no help. Dick

I remember seeing a smaller version of Rhapis excelsa years ago at a palm sale. It was being sold as a 'Dwarf Lady' and was described as growing to only 18 inches or so. To me, it looked like a smaller division taken from a regular Lady Palm. But it was small, and only a rooted division. I have not seen the cultivar around since. I have no doubt that one exists, considering all the numerous cultivars that have been created over the years. It would be nice if it were to resurface and make its way back into cultivation. I would like to have one myself. The Rhapis sp. 'Super Dwarf' so far has maxed out at near 8 inches high. Jeff's oldest plants are at that height, and seem to slow down. He has some that have flowered at 6 inches tall, but the inflorescence is nothing spectacular. Ryan

I thought that the subject was going to be some great looking palm. Got hookwinked instead. And to think that I was going to offer my own amazing palm image - aw, what the hell, here it is anyway. Does anyone know what species of Phoenix this is - larseni, or motorolai?

Hey guys, look at my baby. Planted in ground in Sept of 05. Not a lot of growth seen by Jan of 07

Close-up of leaf . . .

1. Ptychosperma sp. 2. Attalea cohune 3. Areca vestiaria 4. Borassus aethiopum 5. Calyptrocalyx sp. 6. Manicaria saccifera 7. Desmoncus polyacanthos 8. Pigafetta filaris 9. Hyophorbe verschaffeltii 10. Licuala peltata Cycad: Ceratozamia sp. Ryan

Most of the ones planted there are C umbraculifera and many are about the size of Kyles picture in the first post . There are a few C.utan , personnaly I prefer them .

One of about 50 Coryphas planted at a mates place in Whyanbeel . They are all about 20 years old . Here they are bordering a Heliconia bed alternating with some Syagrus spp.

And C. utan, about 14 ft tall.

Dave, No, not exactly (grown another 10 ft)... BUT, they're making progress. Planted all of mine from 1G pots about 9-10 years ago, and for the first 3-4 years they were VERY VERY slow. Now they seem to be picking up speed but I don't think they will ever be fast.... Here's my biggest Corypha umbraculifera, about 10-11 ft tall. Bo-Göran

Same park in Thailand .... Here is a Borassus palm with fruit. Jeff

Here is a pic taken at Noon nook Botanical Garden in Thailand two years ago. They make Bismarkias look small. Jeff

Thanks for the enthusiastic words, everyone. Since the flowering/fruiting process of C. utan is not well documented, I kept a photographic journal. So, there are lots of photographs. It's not finished, either. Here's a photograph of ripe fruit which fell naturally. Most fruit fall due to bird action. (I am VERY popular with the birds in the area, the feathered kind for all you Aussies). Bo, this tree seemed to pick up steam in each year of life. And after leaf bases began to fall, it really took off. And Palmotrafficante, thanks for the news on germination.

Norm, Wow, great shot! Try to get some more please! Here's a juvenile Corypha utan. It was planted in Sept 1997 from a 2G pot, and today, nine years later, it's about 14 ft/4 m. tall. It seems to have picked speed the last few years. Bo

Anna: I will make a point of stopping at Foster next time I am on the Honolulu side. I have not been there in months. Get a photograph or two. Tad: How long did it take for your C. utan seed to germinate? Mike: The C. utan here was in a hurry. Two years after planting out the seedling (like yours), the fronds were over my head. Here's a photograph of this C. utan in full fruit. It's interesting to see the differences between C. utan and C. umbraculifera in the fruiting stages. Thanks to Anna for posting her photographs!

*Please click on thumbnail for larger version* As promised, I am posting some pictures of one of the Foster's Coryphas in bloom. It was September 2006. Please see the same palms in 2002 in my earlier picture. Anna

Here is a web site that has some beautiful examples - photos of Coryphas. Click on the colored botanical names. (you'll have to scroll past the orangatangs. Coryphas Pictures - Asian Gardens

de nada, Kawika! This is my C. utan. I agree with Daryl about the appeal of Corypha in it's juvenile phase. When my tree was a juvenile, I recall it being very imposing. But here is the tree in the adult condition, just for comparison.

These C. umbraculifera just bust free of one's imagination. This photograph dates back only thee weeks at one of my trips to Ho`omaluhia. Yes, that IS a picnic table.

And here is a particularly orange form of C.utan, which is quite variable in appearance.